How Green Is Gwyneth Paltrow?

Gwyneth Paltrow's Web site, Goop.com, seeks to help us regular folk find a way of life that's both good for our soul and good for the Earth.

But environmentalists are wondering: Is Goop's mission eco-centric — or merely egocentric?

That's because if you want to be as green as Gwynnie, you'll need more than a little of the folding green stuff — i.e., dollars. Gwynnie may be done with Affleck, but she still needs lots and lots of Benjamins.

If a visitor to the site wants Earth-friendly clothes, Goop recommends the Eco Collection from fashion designer Stella McCartney, a pal of Paltrow's and the daughter of Paul McCartney.

The pieces range from a pricey $435 to an eye-bulging $1,535.

The yoga-serene site, which boasts the mystifying tagline "Nourish Your Inner Aspect," also offers viewers slices of insight and advice, plus a newsletter.

Goop breaks down its content into "Make," "Go," "Get," "Do," "Be," and "See," categories that give viewers a glimpse into Gwyneth's super-fit and — let's face it — just plain super life.

Healthy, vegan-like recipes are shared. But like many things on Goop.com, these aren't your basic "going green" advice nuggets.

One of the meals comes first-hand from world chef Mario Batali, who just happened to throw a dinner party with Gwynnie and Emeril Lagasse.

Whatever the environmentalists say, there is no lack of opinions about Goop, especially from the cyber world.

"Why does the phrase 'poor little rich girl' spring to mind?," comments TimeTraveller3 in response to a Huffington Post piece on Paltrow. "Her quest to become the Oprah of/to the jet-set has not gotten off to a flying start, unfortunately."

"This Web site ... promotes the idea that harmony and happiness are achieved by consumption. Not everyone can afford to travel to the most lavish and refreshing places and eat the best foods," posts Edith Polanski in a comment attached to a Los Angeles Times piece on Paltrow. "I would like her to tell me how would she nourish her inner self if she were just a regular un-famous woman living in let's say, Sudan."

And Paltrow's own public comments don't help matters.

Asked by People magazine why she launched Goop, she replied: "Because I felt like I had a lot of really useful information that I was privileged enough to get, because I have this amazing, super, fortunate life."

Still, even as Goop extols the merits of a detox diet and jets off to Paris to view designer collections, it is bringing some attention to the green revolution.

And for that, say greenies, we should cut Gwyneth some slack.

"This is such an important and timely question that I've been struggling with for some time," says Amy Todisco of Green Living Now, a Huntington, Vt.-based environmental products group. "It's on par with 'Is an organic McDonald's a good thing?'

"And is it OK to build a green McMansion or would it be better to build a smaller, more sustainable home, even if you have the money to afford the McMansion?"

As far as celebrities preaching green, if they know what they're talking about, it could be good for the movement and helpful in jump-starting average Americans to try to green their own lives.

"Celebrities do live in a different world, but for the moment they remain the style setters of this day and age," says green guru Anna Getty, who has her own Web site at PureStyleLiving.com and is a member of the Getty oil family. "Gwyneth does happen to be somewhat green and incorporates that into Goop. I think ANY exposure to green is a good thing."

"Gwyneth does not have to save money," adds Getty. "She may choose to because it makes sense, but that is not what she writes about."

Todisco adds that we may be too hasty in judging Paltrow.

"None of us in the green movement can be perfect in our quest for a green life since we are human," she says. "Perhaps the answer is to educate ourselves as fully as we can and do the best we can."